e-Cigs not as Safe as You’ve Been Led to Believe

IN YOUR DAILY DOSE: Researchers have uncovered interesting behavior of the cells in your upper airway after exposure to e-cigarettes commonly used to “vape” or to help quit smoking.

MAKING CHANGES: Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health and reduce your risk of many different health problems. However, the addiction is strong. Here are a couple of changes that may make the process go more smoothly.

FACT OR FICTION: How many times can you fold a regular sheet of paper before you just can’t any more? You might want to try it yourself before scrolling down.

In The News

Research released from the University of North Carolina Healthcare demonstrated that e-cigs are changing the genetic makeup of your respiratory system, negatively impacting your immune system and making it easier for infection and other health conditions to develop.

Scientists found that e-cigs are altering hundreds of different genes, many of which are the same ones affected by tobacco smoke. This increases the risk of bacterial and viral infections and inflammation of your airway.

Even the researchers were surprised by the discovery, but say that at this time e-cigs can’t be classified as worse than smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, the long-term effects of this option has not been determined and may turn out to be just as dangerous as the real thing.

Tobacco smoke contributes to your indoor air pollution, for both the smoker and others in the home. Unfortunately, indoor air pollution may be far worse (higher amounts of particulate matter) than outdoor air pollution. Quitting smoking may be a challenge, but success will impact not only your own health, but also the health of the ones you love.

Making Changes

You may have tried strategies to help stop smoking and feel you may never be successful. However, the only time you’ve failed is when you stop trying. Smoking is incredible addictive and may require more than just willpower to overcome. Here are a few more strategies you might try:

1. Employ the help of a support person, in much the same way that Alcoholics Anonymous uses sponsors. These are people who have walked this journey before you, know the pitfalls and are available to you in times when you feel weakest. Call your support person before you light up. This is a strategy used by addiction programs because it works.

2. Discover the benefits of mindful meditation. Practice this type of meditation for a week or two before you quit. Then, when the urge to light up begins welling up inside, employ this strategy to reduce your anxiety level.

3. Distracting your mind from the cigarette is another technique often found helpful. Distraction should take place in the form of some type of exercise, which also boosts your endorphin levels. Don’t pick up food or try to watch television - get moving!

4. Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet - low in carbs and high in healthy fats. Consider a multi-vitamin to replace the nutrients smoking has depleted from your body. Your cells need the nutrition to heal and you’ll feel so much better you won’t want to return to the cigarettes.

Daily Affirmation

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. How can I overcome my past wounds? 2. What can I do to avoid emotional triggers that set off memories of unpleasant times? 3. How can I find fulfillment through overcoming the past?

Fact or Fiction?

How many times do you think you could fold a piece of paper 8” X 11”? Prior to 2000 scientist thought the number was just 7. But the record was set just over 10 years ago by Brittany Gallivan who folded a piece of A4 paper 12 times.

Paper roughly doubles in thickness with each fold. Believe it or not - if you were able to fold paper 10 times it would be the thickness of your hand - another 10 times and it would be higher than Mount Everest - all from a piece of paper.